The Herald reports that Community Transit will place a November 4 ballot measure to raise the sales tax 0.9% to extend bus service to Cathcart, Clearview, and Maltby.
The approval of Proposition 1 will authorize Community Transit to collect .9% sales tax increase to almost 10% total sale tax in our area. This is a total waste of dollars since we will be paying $80K a year bus drivers to haul VERY FEW people around this area. Also consider the $40-50K jobs of maintenance/cleaners of the buses that add to the cost. If it were economical, the private sector would have provided this service already. The ridership will be almost non-existant and Community Transit (tax payers) will be subsidizing another boondoggle. Bus transportation, even in Seattle, can not carry it's own weight without BIG subsidies. Some of the bus drivers in King County are making $120K a year with overtime (CRAZY). This is a ridiculous tax to provide more high paying government jobs for a losing concern. Learn to "Just Say NO" to crazy, out of control Government. We DO NOT need this type of waste in our area.
I agree with you Bill on voting NO to the "Public Transportation Benefit Area" Proposition 1. Adding .9% tax to the area is a lot for bus service that you will have to transfer in another town to actually get somewhere. When you live on the edges of bus service you spend a lot of time on buses. You will still have to drive to a park and ride as bus service will not be on every street. The convenience is just not there yet.
Anyone's thoughts?